Built exclusively for construction companies doing $500K–$10M+ in revenue.
Construction-only • NAHB Chart of Accounts • QuickBooks + Buildertrend / Procore / CoConstruct
Most contractors aren't struggling because they're bad builders. They're struggling because job costs, cash flow, retainage, and financial reports don't line up. Your project managers approve work in the field. Your bookkeeper records transactions after the fact. Somewhere in between, profit quietly leaks. This isn't a bookkeeping problem. It's a financial system problem.
Traditional bookkeepers focus on compliance and historical reports. That tells you where you've been—not whether you're about to make or lose money. At Salisbury Bookkeeping, we function as your Fractional Controller, building systems that show you what's happening now and what's coming next. Your business success is directly tied to ours. If your margins improve, cash stabilizes, and decisions get clearer—we've done our job.
We don't sell tasks or monthly data entry. We build construction financial systems that directly impact profit, cash flow, and decision-making. That means stopping revenue leaks before they become write-offs, giving you real job-level profitability—not guesses, making cash flow predictable even with retainage, and turning financials into a decision tool, not a compliance chore. This is how your financials become a growth asset, not overhead.
We design the financial foundation your business runs on. That includes NAHB-standard Chart of Accounts, proper job costing structure, clean workflows between field operations and accounting, and integration between QuickBooks Online and your PM software. This architecture ensures every dollar is tracked correctly—by job, by phase, and by purpose—from day one.
Most cash flow problems in construction aren't profit problems—they're timing problems. We implement bank-ready Work-in-Progress (WIP) reporting with built-in retainage tracking, so you always know what you've earned, what you've billed, what's sitting in retainage, and what should be collected next. This includes ASC 606 / Percentage-of-Completion accuracy, retainage tracking by job and draw, and reports your bank and bonding company actually trust.
Approved change orders that never get billed are one of the biggest silent profit killers in construction. We build reconciliation systems that flag approved but unbilled change orders, sync PM approvals to invoicing, catch labor, materials, and scope creep early, and ensure every extra hour and every extra 2×4 gets billed. Nothing slips through the cracks—and if it does, it shows up fast.
We don't send static reports. We build live dashboards that show you what matters—without digging through QuickBooks. Your dashboard can include job profitability by phase, estimates vs. actuals, cash position and runway, WIP and retainage status, and unbilled work and AR risk. One login. Clear answers. Confident decisions.
A construction company owner doing approximately $3.2M in revenue came to us with unclear job margins and inconsistent cash flow. After implementing clean job costing, WIP with retainage tracking, tighter AR workflows, and a real-time dashboard, they recovered missed change orders, reduced invoice lag, and gained clarity on underpriced work. Result: Roughly 3× ROI on our fee, plus a ~2% pricing increase—without adding jobs or overhead.
We're a great fit if you are doing $500K–$10M in revenue, use Buildertrend, Procore, CoConstruct, Knowify (or plan to), want visibility into job profitability and cash, and care about ROI, not just compliance. We're not a fit if you want basic bookkeeping or the cheapest option. Clear expectations lead to better outcomes—for both sides.
If your numbers feel off, they probably are.
Let’s find out — together.
"We recovered over $8,000 in approved change orders within the first 60 days. The system now makes it nearly impossible for billable work to slip through the cracks."
"Our P&L said we were profitable, but our bank account disagreed. Now we can see which jobs make money in real time, and we bid with confidence."
"Knowing our cash position 2 months out completely changed how we run the business. Bank conversations are easier, and we finally trust our numbers."
We don't work with every industry. We specialize in construction because your financial world is unique.
We build your accounting system the way the industry actually measures financial performance.
We eliminate double entry and sync your field operations directly into your financials.
Go beyond tax compliance—get reporting that actually tells you the truth about your jobs.
What is the difference between a Bookkeeper and a Fractional Controller?
A bookkeeper records historical transactions (what happened). A Fractional Controller forecasts the future. At Salisbury Bookkeeping, our Controller services include WIP reporting, cash flow forecasting, and Month-End closing to ensure your financial statements are bank-ready.
Do I need to switch to QuickBooks Online?
Yes, we work exclusively with QuickBooks Online (QBO). It is the industry standard for cloud-based construction accounting and offers the best integrations with tools like Buildertrend and Procore. If you are on Desktop, we handle the migration for you.
How does your "Clean Up" service work?
If your books are messy or your job costing is inaccurate, we perform a "Clean Up & Catch Up." We audit your past transactions, restructure your Chart of Accounts to NAHB standards, and recategorize expenses so you have accurate historical data to bid future jobs.
Why is construction bookkeeping different from regular business accounting? Standard accounting tracks expenses by date, but construction accounting must track expenses by project and phase. We use a "Job Costing" structure that aligns with the NAHB chart of accounts, ensuring you know exactly which jobs are profitable and where you are losing money on materials or labor.
What accounting software do you support for contractors? We specialize in the modern construction tech stack. We are experts in QuickBooks Online but integrated with industry-specific tools like Buildertrend, Procore, and Knowify. We handle the complex syncing between your project management tool and your financial ledger so your data is always accurate.
Do you work with contractors outside of Utah? Yes. While we are based in Utah and deeply understand local regulations, we serve builders, remodelers, and specialty trades nationwide. Our systems are cloud-based, allowing us to act as your fractional controller regardless of your job site location.
Is it a good idea to outsource bookkeeping?
Absolutely, outsourcing accounting services is a fantastic idea for many businesses. It offers numerous benefits, including cost efficiency, access to expertise, increased focus on core activities, scalability, and risk reduction.